Brooklyn, NY - Documents filed in Brooklyn federal court earlier this week allege that a Car Wash owner in Queens who worked some of his employees without rest, allowed only 10 minute breaks to eat when business was slow, and paid staff as little as six bucks an hour — now owes nine workers some $400,000 in withheld wages.

Warehouse workers at Google Express, the company’s online-shopping and delivery service, will vote on whether to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union announced July 27. The about 140 workers are currently hired through the Adecco temp agency, and make $13 to $17 an hour with no benefits.

Staffers at the British Guardian’s U.S. edition voted unanimously July 29 to join the News Media Guild union. Management "voluntarily recognized" the union, the workers said in a statement. The vote at the British newspaper’s U.S. edition, a Web site launched in 2011 with offices in New York, was the third organizing victory in the last two months at digital media for the NewsGuild, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Wednesday July 29th, held a briefing to legislators and community leaders on Executive Order No. 147, which appoints the New York State Attorney General as a special prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement officers. The order also allows the special prosecutor to review cases where there is a question whether the civilian was armed and dangerous at the time of his or her death.

Albany, NY - In two separate events on Tuesday July 28th, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was honored by the NYS Laborers and the NYS Pipefitters and Plumbers in Warren County. The Governor was presented with the “Champion of Organized Labor” award by the Laborers and the “NY Builder” award by the Pipefitters and Plumbers. These awards come on the heels of the Governor’s presentation of a comprehensive vision to transform LaGuardia airport.

New York, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio and Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett hve announced that City health officials have identified and are overseeing the cleaning of two sources of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx. The two sources already identified are cooling towers at Lincoln Hospital and Concourse Plaza.

New York, NY - Governor Andrew Cuomo and Vice-President Joe Biden kicked off the week eagerly anticipating a $4 billion makeover that promises to one day turn embarrassingly awful LaGuardia Airport into a beautiful and enviable swan — apparently less of a concern, however, is the pervasive ugliness that poverty wages continue to foster upon the lives of 12,000 airport workers.

With Airbus almost finished with its new airliner-manufacturing plant in Mobile, Alabama, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has opened an organizing office near the factory.

More than 100 workers protested July 22 outside the Flying Food Group plant near San Francisco Airport, demanding better pay and working conditions. Rosa Rojas, who works in the Burlingame plant preparing packaged meals for 70 airlines, including JetBlue and British Airways, said she works 10-hour shifts in near-freezing temperatures for about $9 an hour, California’s minimum wage.

New York, NY - Members of the NYC Building Trades were kept out of a public construction forum jointly sponsored by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation [GSAPP] and JDS Development on Wednesday afternoon.

The U.S Census Bureau tells us that as recently as the year 1900, there were approximately 1.75 million child laborers in America. Boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 15 (and sometimes younger) were working in our mines and in our factories. They often did so for 60 hours a week. It was a time when there were few laws to protect workers and even fewer laws to regulate child labor.

The largest federal employee union has filed a lawsuit alleging that Office of Personnel Management's leadership failed to heed warnings, obey security policies and are liable for one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history.

Washington, DC - The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has filed a class action complaint with a demand for jury trial against the Office of Personnel Management, Director Katherine Archuleta and Chief Information Officer Donna Seymour about one of the most devastating cyberattacks in U.S. history. The attack resulted in potentially 18 million current and former federal employees' personal and security files being compromised.

Washington, DC - On July 21, 2015 the fifth anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka made the following statement: Working families have waited too long for changes required by Dodd-Frank legislation. Meanwhile, corporations continue to write their own rules.

Allentown, Pennsylvania — A majority of janitorial employees working for Crothall Healthcare at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, have voted to be represented by Teamsters Local 773. There are 233 employees in the group which consists of staff members assigned in the cleaning crews, room preparation and as floor technicians.

New York, NY - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced a settlement agreement with On Location Education, Inc. for penalizing a teacher after she filed for unemployment insurance benefits. The company provides teachers to educate children on location at film, theater, television and other productions.

As this year’s legislative session drew to a close, concern over what to do with the controversial 421-a tax abatement program became one of the most prominent issues facing us as legislative body. We in the legislature have placed a sunset into this legislation forcing Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and the Building Trade to come to an agreement on the use of 421-a and setting a prevailing wage or face the programs expiration in six months.

Phoenix House

The need for strong labor media and the struggle to preserve prevailing wages for construction workers were on everyone’s mind as LaborPress honored six union leaders June 4.
The 2015 Labor Leadership Awards went to R. Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; James Cahill, president of the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council; Edwin L. Christian, business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 14-14B, Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association; Ernest A. Logan, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators; and Steve McInnis, president of the New York City Disctrict Council of Carpenters.